


Broken Angels

by Kaoz



Category: Eureka, Good Omens, Supernatural
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-20
Updated: 2012-03-20
Packaged: 2017-11-02 06:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/365845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoz/pseuds/Kaoz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We are different.<br/>Special…<br/>I grew up knowing this. I was told it had to be kept a secret.<br/>My family was never ‘normal’. But what is that anyway?<br/>We are who we are and because of this we know our place. … Our duty.<br/>I'm the last of my family…<br/>Their legacy is mine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken Angels

+*+*+

The first time John Winchester met Armimius Quentin, it was not a coincidence. Arminius was expecting John and he waited, sitting patiently on the dirty steps of the derelict house he and his granddaughter had claimed for the day. He saw John approach with caution, unaware of Amarÿs watching them both from inside the house.

Arminius knew what John was searching for and yes, he had the answers for him. It would be Amarÿs who would voice a concern over John's ‘reason’. Revenge was never the answer and John's grief would only eat at him. It was the kind of thing that lit John's fuse; he had the urge to bark an order even if it wasn’t his kid. Sam had been the only one to question John and he'd been away at school for three years now. John wouldn’t even admit to himself that a young girl was right. He couldn’t turn back, not with so many years of searching, hunting, killing; the Winchesters were a target now. John wasn’t about to leave his youngest to fend for himself even if Sam was off at school being Joe-College-boy well on his way to becoming a lawyer.

John wondered at times what had made Sam choose law as his career. But then, the Winchesters were always in one jam or another with the law. Had Sam thought of that? And would Sam come to their aid if they were caught and couldn’t find a way out on their own? John thought sadly his youngest wouldn’t bother with him. There was too much anger in Sam.

Arminius could see his granddaughter did not understand John but she was young and he had done too good a job of isolating her from ‘normal’ people and the everyday goings on of the ‘world out there’. All Amarÿs knew was hunting; for monsters and to eat. He had kept them a secret among the Hunters, just another story to tell around the campfire, which was all that John had been able to find out. Very few Hunters were aware the old man existed simply because he did not ‘advertise’. Arminius made sure the few Hunters he did help _never_ made any mention of him to others, especially of his granddaughter.

It was Bobby who called John and confirmed Arminius Quentin was in fact very real; that some of those questions and hunts John had asked Bobby to figure out had been with help from Arminius. And it had been Arminius Quentin who had woken up in the early hours of dawn and called Bobby with a place and time for John.

Surprise had been Bobby's first reaction because Arminius had been very clear that Bobby was never to mention him. Arminius wasn’t about to have Hunters coming to his door at all hours looking for help. He didn’t want or need the attention, was happy just being thought of as ‘fable’ that the Hunting community put no real stock in. The Quentins were just another story to pass the time with and he would happily keep it that way to protect Amarÿs. Anonymity was a necessity.

John hadn't any idea what to expect and Bobby's call had been a surprise considering the last time they had spoken, he'd been threatened with buckshot if he so much as set foot on Singer property again. John almost hadn't answered the call and Bobby had been a grouchy old bastard anyway. He didn’t explain much; just that it was up to John to accept the help being offered. Those whispers about the old man had surfaced again and John had decided it was a risk worth taking. Bobby wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important, let alone a benefit to any of the Winchesters. Bobby could be mad at John, hell he’d want to kill him most times, but the boys…they were the closest to sons he'd ever have and there was nothing Bobby wouldn’t do for either of them.

What John didn’t expect was the ‘silver fox’ sitting patiently on the leaf strewn and warped steps of the condemned house where he had been told to go to. The girl had been hidden just inside the front door with a shiny gun loosely in her right hand and a knife in the left. Arminius stood slowly- at least six feet tall and slim in build, and looked to be in his middle to late sixties. There were no weapons pointed at John but he still felt as though he was in a dark room, blind. It was unsettling and he didn’t like it but his curiosity was stronger.

“I am Arminius.” His voice was deep and not what John had been expecting considering his wiry build and looks. On the porch, the girl stepped into John's view. She was small and very young; the ebony tresses were confined to a simple braid that hung over her shoulder and past her waist. She didn’t look concerned- more curious if he went by her expression which was difficult to decipher though it helped she had her head slightly tilted as if she didn’t know what to make of John. She still didn’t put away her weapons.

“Are you certain of the path you're on?” Arminius only asked hoping that John would have changed his mind. Maybe the man would be too tired to keep seeking vengeance. Maybe John would think of his sons first and what was best for them but John's features hardened and the dark hazel eyes glared back, full of anger.

“You asked _me_ here.” John half growled the response like a defensive animal.

Arminius said nothing, turned to the house and headed inside. After a contemplative moment of studying John, the girl headed inside as well and John was left with a choice to make. Follow them inside … or leave.

John never forgot.

The demon lay unconscious inside a Devil’s Trap. They woke it with a splash of holy water from the girls’ canteen. It sat up, startled and in pain. What John noticed and couldn’t fathom was its fear of _her._ The girl paid it no attention, her face expressionless again as Arminius directed John to ask his questions. He almost laughed, because demons lied and it certainly wasn’t going to talk to him. Arminius and the girl remained silent and John spared a moment to wonder what the hell the girl was even doing there. He eyed the demon still sitting in the Devil’s Trap and stepped forward. He really had nothing to lose.

“I'm looking for a demon…”

+*+*+

John watched his sons from afar. He had to remember it was better for them without him around. Seeing his sons… John felt his chest constrict with emotion. What he wanted most was for this to be a bad dream. Just a very long nightmare they could wake up from. Mary would be at his side with a smile like she did every morning. Sam would be a lawyer, happily married with a family of his own. Dean … well, he was happiest fixing the Impala and John had planned on owning his own shop one day. He’d leave it to his eldest and then later, maybe Dean would settle with that special girl and have his own family. It would all be normal. That apple pie kind of life he and Mary always planned and lived those ten years. … But Mary died and that life with her because John _knew_ what he had seen in Sam’s nursery. No one was going to convince him otherwise. The last 22 years had only shown him so much more than he could have ever imagined and while he wished his boys could’ve had different lives; John had done the right thing. Both were prepared, extremely capable of defending themselves. His only concern was Sam and that naïve innocence he had of trusting in the good of people.

And the demon… it hadn't known much which was a pity, but what it did know, it told John without hesitation. Naturally, John thought it was bullshit. He wasn’t sure what Arminius got out of helping or even why but all the old man would say was that he was meant to aid John and now they had. Arminius walked him outside without concern for leaving the girl alone with the demon.

“She's seventeen and knows exactly what to do with it.” He hadn't missed the glance of concern from John. It turned to one of surprise. He had thought she was maybe fourteen; she just looked so young. “Here,” Arminius held out a small square of paper, his tone one of warning. “You never tell anyone about me. Never mention my granddaughter. To anyone. Not even Bobby.” He added with a quick smile as John was allowed to take the phone number. “We are here to help, John. I just don’t want the attention.”

John could understand and the reasons for it. He wished it had been that easy for him and his boys but life had turned out a lot different than what he had planned. John would leave, he would keep hiding from his boys and they were doing fine on their own anyway. John would go and check out the information the demon had given them to see if there was any truth though he really doubted it. Depending on what happened … well, maybe John would call the crazy old guy.

Unlikely.

He was a firm believer that demons lied.

+*+*+

Amarÿs had questions; why had they helped John when he hadn't asked? He had not appreciated it and clearly didn’t believe them, or the demon. It was normal, though. All demons lied … until she made them tell the truth, but doing that always hurt and she didn’t like it at all. Her grandfather explained he had been asked to help and with a shared glance Amarÿs understood.

“In a dream… who was it papa?” She had not been visited since she had been a little girl but her grandfather saw one or another every few months.

“My Mother.” Arminius smiled. It gave him a modicum of peace to see them even if it wasn’t often or even truly real. They came to him with warnings, messages, telling him of where he was needed and who to help. The ride home was spent telling Amarÿs stories of his childhood, just the same as he had done with her Mother. Each story held something of their family history, of who they were and what they were capable of. The ‘what’ wasn’t so easy to figure out but he always had a request for the ‘how’ story, first from his daughter and now from Amarÿs. It was a favorite and he could understand why.

But his daughter had died and with her, everything he had taught her and everything she had to teach Amarÿs.

They arrived home in the middle of the night. Anyone else would have been lost and likely ended up dropping off the cliffside that seemed to come out of nowhere. Plenty of travelers had done so before which was why the area had been left alone and none yet had discovered the family compound. It really was nothing more than an old styled plantation home with a wraparound porch tucked into a thick grove of trees. They had a small barn where the few animals they kept could take shelter on cold nights and rain. One side was corralled so the animals had a place to ‘hang out’ or run around. The chicken coop was set off to the side right between the house and garage. Arminius had a work area set up a few yards from the house; a small bungalow that faced the ocean, which he could see through the break in the trees. Everything was out of sight and exactly as they had left it two days before. He drove up the dirt path and around the house to the garage where the door slid open slowly. He parked next to the Bronco remembering the last time anyone had driven it. The car had been a gift for his daughter Elba though soon enough it would belong to Amarÿs.

“We’ll have to do some maintenance on this beast.” He looked at his truck, a ghost of a smile passing his lips in fondness.

“I’ll do a tune up tomorrow.” Amarÿs jumped out, seemingly unaffected by the long night or the drive. He wished it wasn’t so hard for him now because it only meant she would be on her own and that was the last thing Arminius wanted. “We still have enough supplies for that. We’ll have to stock up pretty soon though.” They both grabbed duffels and headed out of the garage.

“It is tomorrow, Marÿs. It’s past twelve.” She uttered a soft huff of breath and shrugged for the correction. Arminius left her on the porch to open the door and headed around the house, checking that everything really was as they had left it. That was easier to do once the lights came on inside and spilled out the windows. Everything ran on solar power. Elba’s idea thanks to that boy she would sneak out to meet in town. It hadn't been long before Elba came to them saying she wanted to go with him. His name was Callan Hugues and he was twenty-two. He had spent the year in training and was going home to take a job with his Father as a paramedic. He had asked her to go with him and Elba was in love. Arminius warned her, said that she didn’t know what it was like to live ‘out there’ 24/7. There were things she wouldn’t be able to do. She would have to hide what she was capable of and never speak of Hunting. … But Elba still wanted to go and they couldn’t hold her back no matter how much Arminius wanted to protect his little girl. She was nineteen, in love and wanted to see ‘the world’. Cecily had worried there wouldn’t be anyone near to protect her but Elba assured her Mother nothing could hurt them; Callan and his family had nothing to do with Hunting.

Elba had left and life had been quiet; a lonely year.

Elba returned. Callan had asked her to marry him and she wanted them both to be there. His parents wanted to meet the Quentins… and a year later Amarÿs had come into their lives. Elba was happy, their secret was safe and both Arminius and Cecily spent time with them during the holidays and in the summer. Everything had been good, everyone had been safe…

Amarÿs had been four years old when her parents were killed.

Cecily had been visiting while Arminius joined in a hunt. Elba had been seven months pregnant with a boy…it had been a short visit and Cecily had come back to find yellow tape, a crowd, police and paramedics outside the house. Arminius had been upset he hadn't been there to help and Cecily had been left to deal with that alone. She had driven off with Amarÿs sound asleep in the back seat of Elba’s Bronco and met up with Arminius the next state over.

“Papa,” Amarÿs looked out the door as he finished his walk. He couldn’t help comparing them; Elba and Amarÿs. She reminded him so much of his little girl; the same dark hair, the inquisitive tilt of her head, the uncommon blue –gray eyes that in some light eerily looked violet they were that dark. But where Elba’s eyes had been ringed in thin gray, Amarÿs’ eyes had a violet ring. It was the only distinguishing feature in the family. That ring in their eyes that meant they were different, special. It was easier for Arminius, the ring in his green eyes was a golden-copper and his Father’s green-blue eyes had been ringed in copper as well.

“Let’s get some rest.” Arminius led her inside and picked up the duffel she had left just inside the door. “I'm too old for these late nights.” He locked the door behind him, it was a habit.

“Will you ever tell me how old you really are?” Amarÿs still wasn’t sure but she knew he couldn’t be forty-five like he insisted, nor was he the thirty-five he tossed out like he’d just remembered.

Arminius laughed. He had played the same game with Elba when she had been the same age and even after, when she lived out there, in ‘the world’ she would occasionally ask him… Arminius draped an arm over his granddaughter’s shoulders as they headed up the stairs side by side. “Don’t I look forty-five?”

Amarÿs laughed. She hadn't really expected he would tell her the truth and in a way she didn’t want him to. Knowing would only make her acutely aware of time and the fact that each day was one less with her grandfather. Arminius still looked to be in his sixties and that was how Amarÿs would leave it. They parted at the first door on the second floor with a kiss to his cheek. He waited until she entered her own room at the end of the hall and a little more just to be sure everything was as it should be. He left his door ajar and sat on his bed feeling very tired. Each hunt seemed longer and tougher than the one before. He had turned seventy on this last one and certainly felt it, even if others couldn’t see it. Arminius knew he wouldn’t be any good on a Hunt but he couldn’t allow Amarÿs to go off on her own. It just wasn’t time yet, though Amarÿs already handled most of the Hunts by herself.

He thought of John Winchester; the man had a reputation in the Hunting community. Depending on who you asked, John Winchester was either a ‘tough son of a bitch’ or just a ‘son of a bitch’. What few Hunters were aware of was the interest Hell had in the Winchesters. It was apparent that John did know and maybe all those questions the man kept ‘asking’ was the reason why demons wanted all three men.

Arminius slowly removed his boots thinking of his wife. He had been lucky to have Cecily. She had filled his life with happiness. Now, all he had was his granddaughter, though eventually she would have to make her own family. Elba had found love at nineteen, just a few years older than Amarÿs was now….

“Let it be a good man…” It was all he wanted for her.

+*+*+


End file.
